Germany · Descent · Citizenship

Germany Restitution Naturalisation (§ 15 StAG)

Qualifying victims of Nazi persecution and their descendants can apply for German naturalisation under Section 15.

Value scoreCheckingPassport data under review

5-year costCheckingone applicant, not recoverable

DecisionCheckingComparable time under review

Official program page

Value: what the Restitution Naturalisation (§ 15 StAG) gives you

Passport reach 25 pts weightChecking

Path to citizenship 25 pts weight100

Work, family, healthcare 20 pts weightChecking

Stay rule 15 pts weight100

Tax on foreign income 10 pts weightChecking

Policy stability 5 pts weightChecking

Passport: visa-free destinations: Checking
Years to permanent residence: Checking
Years to citizenship: ImmediatelyOfficialFederal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15This is naturalisation itself, with no residence-permit stage.
Leads to citizenship: Checking
Can work for a local employer: YesOfficial, secondaryEuropean Union, checked 2026-11-15Once recognised as a citizen, an applicant can work for a local employer in Germany without an immigration work permit.
Same application for spouse and children: Checking
Public healthcare: Checking
Minimum stay per year: NoneOfficialGerman Federal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15German citizenship acquired by this route has no annual physical-presence condition. The statutory grounds for loss still apply.
Tax on foreign income: Checking
Dual citizenship allowed: Checking
Rule changes, last 24 months: Checking

Cost: what the Restitution Naturalisation (§ 15 StAG) costs over five years

Government fees: $0OfficialFederal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15Section 38(3) exempts this naturalisation from fees.
Non-refundable contribution: $0OfficialFederal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15The restitution route requires no contribution.
Due diligence: Checking
Compulsory extras, first year: Checking
Renewal fees, first 5 years: $0OfficialFederal Ministry of Justice, checked 2026-11-15This is naturalisation without a residence-permit renewal fee.
Investment you may get back: Checking
Minimum income per month: Checking
Extra for a spouse and two children: Checking
Typical adviser fees (not in the total): Checking

USD estimates use the 13 November 2026 reference rates of the European Central Bank, Central Bank of Armenia and Central Bank of the UAE, and the Central Bank of Uruguay rate for UYU. The Panamanian balboa uses its official one-to-one parity.

Speed: how long the Restitution Naturalisation (§ 15 StAG) takes

Official processing time: Checking
Reported processing time (median): Checking
Approval to card or passport: Checking

Sources

Nationality Act, section 15, Federal Ministry of Justice. Checked 2026-11-15.
Nationality Act, section 38, Federal Ministry of Justice. Checked 2026-11-15.
Wiedergutmachungseinbürgerung nach Verfolgung, German Federal Office of Administration. Checked 2026-11-15.
Working in the EU – your rights, European Union. Checked 2026-11-15.
Nationality Act, section 17: loss of nationality, German Federal Ministry of Justice. Checked 2026-11-15.

Every figure on this page last reviewed 2026-11-15. General information, not legal advice. Spotted an error? Email us from the contact page.

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